Have you ever been to Washington Nationals Ballpark? I'm not much of a baseball fan (don't hate on me) but I have to tell you, this ballpark is beautiful! One of the event venues within the ballpark is the PNC Diamond Club which boasts an expansive bar, comfortable lounge and "impressive behind-the-plate views of Nationals Park and outdoor porch." Now you can add a climate controlled tent to that!
The Diamond Club was so successful that the Nationals Ballpark needed overflow space and installed a beautiful Nationals-themed tent -- complete with tent air conditioning and heating. But they couldn't use just any tent air conditioner and heater.
Here's what they were looking for in a tent cooling and heating solution.
One unit to heat AND cool
Baseball season is a loonnngggg season. On opening day, which is usually the beginning of April, it can still be chilly in the DC area. And in the fall, when the season is over, temps definitely dip into the cold zone. But in between, we have the heat AND the humidity.
The facility manager did not want to have to install heaters in the tent for the first few weeks, pull them out and install air conditioners and then install the heaters again in the fall! What a nuisance and an added expense. The problem was solved with portable heat pumps. Now they get heating and cooling when they need it from the same unit. And in the DC area you can need cooling in the afternoon and heat in the evening -- we lovingly refer to this kind of weather as the two-season psycho days.
Compact unit to fit into a tight space
Take a look at the video. You'll see the narrow space where the outdoor section had to fit. There was no room for a large 25-ton chiller on the stadium deck and they certainly didn't want to place a large unit in the parking lot -- the closest lot to the PNC Diamond tent is the players' lot!
Attractive appearance in the tent
The special event and catering managers were VERY concerned with the interior aesthetic. They book the events and sell the space so understandably, they wanted to make sure the fan experience was not compromised. Sure, it's a tent but the space is branded with Nationals colors and theme and is an extension of the existing PNC Diamond Club space that is thoughtful and entertaining.
The portable heat pump indoor section is sleek and modern and offers excellent air distribution without ducting -- which would not work with the tent interior. Plus, each unit has its own thermostat so it's easy to control the climate within the space.
Noise is a no-no
Can't blame the special event and catering managers but once again, their attention to detail demanded a quiet unit. The PNC Diamond Club is used during games but also as an event venue that can be rented for any event. They certainly didn't want a loud unit that would interfere with the party atmosphere.
The portable heat pump offered quiet operation in both cooling and heating modes. But noise level ratings on a spec sheet don't mean much to non-HVAC folks so we took a unit down and did a demo. They were sold.
Design Flexibility
The tent is a new space that was just added this year so they weren't entirely sure about placement or use. The facility manager insisted on a unit that could be easily moved within the space or used at a different location should they decide to move the tent.
The portable heat pump is easily moved from one location to another and can be serviced by the HVAC the facility folks at the park. Easy peasy -- a facility manager's dream!
Take a 60 second ballpark escape and watch this video to see the PNC Diamond Club Tent cooled and heated by AirPac. Some pretty sweet seats in this ballpark venue!
Need help cooling or heating your special event? Be sure to choose the right tent air conditioner for your event. And you can check out this post to find out how much tent cooling costs. We're just a click or call away!